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Michigan Chapter Launches to Call Congress to Action

on December 18th 2012

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Amanda Van Essen (Grandville, MI), Kathy Hayes (Lansing, MI) and Mayor Richard Clayton (Kentwood, MI) joined a diverse group of concerned individuals from across the country to converge on Washington, DC, to call on lawmakers to address the rapidly approaching fiscal cliff and the country’s long-term federal debt problems. These individuals from the Michigan Campaign to Fix the Debt Steering Committee joined representatives from eight states urging immediate and meaningful reforms to protect the U.S. economy.

“The inability to compromise in Washington is creating economic uncertainty that is bad for business and threatens to cripple our economic recovery,” said Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Regional Chamber. “Businesses in Detroit and throughout Michigan will suffer if lawmakers in Washington are unable to craft a compromise that addresses the significant challenges we face in a manner that creates a sense of confidence. I urge our politicians to put political differences aside and come together and create responsible and sustainable fiscal policy that puts our nation on the path to prosperity.”

“As a small business owner, going over the fiscal cliff will only make it harder for small businesses to compete. A leap off of the cliff leads to increased interest rates for households and businesses, and it will slow the growth of wages and the economy as a whole.” Amanda Van Essen, Vice President and co-owner of P2 Sports LLC.

“As Mayor of Kentwood I have seen first-hand how decisions in Washington impact Main Street America. This is why I am making my voice heard. Congress must pass a bipartisan, long-term budget bill. Without one, our country faces falling off the fiscal cliff, which will put further strain on the United States economy,” commented Mayor Richard Clanton.

“That lawmakers would even consider going over the fiscal cliff is alarming. Doing so would irreparably hurt the economy and send a resounding message about the ineffectiveness of our government. From education to construction to national defense, every sector of the economy will suffer if Congress and the White House can’t work together on a meaningful solution,” said Ken Sikkema, Senior Policy Fellow, Public Sector Consultants and former State Senate Majority Leader (R-MI).

Today, the national debt exceeds $16 trillion and continues to grow. On January 1, the country faces a hazardous combination of spending cuts and tax expirations – known as the “fiscal cliff” – that the Congressional Budget Office predicts would cause the economy to shrink in 2013.

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